WGA: Writers Not Receiving New-Media Payments

LOS ANGELES, November 20: The Writers Guild of America, West
(WGAW) has filed for arbitration against the Association of Motion Picture and
Television Producers (AMPTP), alleging that writers are not receiving residuals
for library fare reused on new-media platforms.

New media was a key sticking point that led to the 100-day
writers' strike, which ended early this year. The new contract called for
producers to pay residuals to writers on programs and feature films sold as
electronic downloads. The guild has filed for arbitration against the AMPTP,
maintaining that the alliance has not kept up its side of the bargain.

"Our agreement with the companies on material released to EST
covers feature films produced after July 1, 1971, and television programs
produced after 1977," said John F. Bowman, WGAW Board member and chair of
the 2007 WGA Negotiating Committee. "The companies have reneged on this
agreement and are taking the position that only programs produced after
February 13, 2008, are covered by the new provision. This may be their deal
with the DGA, but that was never our agreement. Every proposal we made during
negotiations made clear our position that library product was covered, and the
AMPTP never objected to that position. The guild will not allow this to
stand."

The guild is also preparing to file for arbitration against the
AMPTP companies for failing to pay residuals due for the streaming of shows on
the Internet. "Our tracking has shown that episodes are staying on
websites longer than the 17-day initial window called for in the
contract," said David Young, the executive director of the WGAW.
"This triggers the payment of a residual, but so far we've seen nothing.
Given the reports by the conglomerates of the growth of the number of shows
being streamed and increases in new-media revenues, this is an unacceptable
situation."

The strained relations
between WGAW and AMPTP come as another union, the Screen Actors Guild, seeks
mediated talks with the producers' alliance as it works to hammer out a new
contract for its members.

—By Mansha Daswani